Conor McGregor campaigning for UFC 159's open slot, second fight in three weeks

With Joe Proctor (8-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) out of this month’s UFC 159 event due to an injury, as MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com) first reported on Wednesday, one potential replacement has thrown his hat into the cage as a possible replacement.

It’d mark his second fight in just three weeks. His most recent, in which he stopped Marcus Brimage in the first round, came at featherweight. This one would come at lightweight for the Irish fighter, who previously held 145- and 155-pound titles with the U.K.-based Cage Warriors promotion.

UFC 159 takes place April 27 at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The Proctor fight is slotted for the FX-televised prelims, which precede the night’s pay-per-view main card.

McGregor’s win over Brimage, which came in quick and efficient fashion (in just 67 seconds) at Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe Arena, marked his ninth consecutive win overall. All have come via stoppage, including seven in the first round. The 24-year-old has said his goal is to hold both the lightweight and featherweight UFC titles.

Iaquinta recently posted a runner-up finish on “The Ultimate Fighter 15″ after a loss to Michael Chiesa. He hasn’t fought since that June 2012 fight while recovering from a knee surgery.